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With Sevens season upon us this edition of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association Players’ Own Magazine has been put together with input from the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team. PLAYERS PERSPECTIVE apart from hanging my head down and my recovery. To say I was happy to see I had a stroke on the looking quite pale. her was an understatement! Her arrival I had to practise the smallest tasks like in the wee hours of the Monday morning training field - thank learning to make a coffee and walking. I was a highlight in my life changing ordeal. goodness. MICHAEL was definitely luckier than other stroke Our team’s Personal Development patients as I didn’t have to learn to eat Manager (PDM) Kylie Sousa and the LAWRENSON and talk again, but I did spend more time NZRPA staff were on the ball and provided sleeping than ever before. great support. Kylie took charge of the T WAS A NORMAL THURSDAY It was very stressful and terrifying, but situation and liaised with all the parties MORNING IN SEPTEMBER. I WAS the support I was given by my team involved to keep them informed. She TRAINING WITH MY COUNTIES including the medical staff, the New ensured I was getting the best care MANUKAU ITM CUP TEAM AND Zealand Rugby Players Association possible and provided 24hr support to my IAFTER THE SESSION, I BEGAN FEELING (NZRPA) and the Counties Manukau fiancée and I. EXTREME NAUSEA AND DIZZINESS. Rugby Union to date has been unreal. She also checked on me and helped me LUCKILY WITH THE MEDICAL STAFF IN make plans ensuring my insurance claims CLOSE ATTENDANCE, I COLLAPSED AND were being processed and I was making AN AMBULANCE WAS CALLED AND I WAS plans for my recovery. RUSHED TO MIDDLEMORE HOSPITAL. My Karaka and Steelers rugby family were AT THE HOSPITAL I SUFFERED VIOLENT eager to support me. Once I was released NAUSEA AND VOMITING WHILE THE from hospital I moved in with a family who DOCTORS WORKED TO SEE WHAT THE I stayed with when I first arrived in New PROBLEM WAS. Zealand. They were just incredible with Initially the medical staff diagnosed my their love, support and generosity. For condition as an extreme case of vertigo, that I will be eternally grateful. however, an MRI revealed that I had The NZRPA and the family that I lived suffered a stroke. with took care of most things for me, In my case, it was a traumatic right which at the time would have been very vertebral artery dissection causing a overwhelming with my condition. predominantly right cerebellar stroke. Gema Hill from InsureYou was great. She When I look back on it, I am lucky to be MICHAEL LAWRENSON looks after all of the player’s insurance alive. Had this happened to me half an policies which are part of their playing hour later, I could have been alone or I My situation is quite unique. I was born could have been driving and it could have in South Africa but living in America and been fatal. playing rugby in New Zealand. How did I From the time it happened to the time end up playing in New Zealand? I was discharged by the hospital stroke I met the Steelers head coach, Tana team I had lost 13kg. I didn’t exactly Umaga, while he was in America have that weight to lose and it was mainly attending a seven-a-side tournament muscle which I had worked hard to get. in Philadelphia. He was looking for a tall, At 6.7ft my stature changed and I now mobile lock, and offered me a chance to moved with my head down as I felt very travel to New Zealand to play club rugby, vulnerable and unsafe on my feet. and then progress to ITM Cup. What I struggled with, apart from the During my time playing club rugby for excessive fatigue and the constant Karaka in Counties Manukau, my Dad had nausea, was the fact you couldn’t see passed away in South Africa. Sadly, my that I was sick from the outside. If I Mum had also passed with Cancer when I had a broken leg, arm or an external was 12, and so with no parents, the team At the age of 24 “You injury, people could see why I was acting Doctor got hold of my beautiful fiancée, have had a stroke’’ differently. However, simple tasks Alyssa, and kept her informed. She kept became daunting, like trying to stand my sister and brother in the loop. was not what I was while showering and making a sandwich. The NZRPA had arranged for Alyssa to fly expecting to hear. Besides this I looked relatively normal out from America and this was crucial to 40 // NZ RUGBY WORLD / 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW contracts. She took care of all my insurance needs and dealt with the crisis cover component of my policy. I am fortunate that my stroke was covered under one of the defined serious conditions on the Crisis Cover insurance policy. It wasn’t until this moment that I fully appreciated how important insurance was. I wasn’t really up to having many visitors as I was really struggling with the nausea and the whole situation of the limitations that having a stroke had caused. MATES FAREWELL MICHAEL LAWRENSON Recovery was an emotional day off, but it went away relatively to say goodbye to all the brothers. rollercoaster. I was feeling anxious, quickly. I should have mentioned I firmly believe that New Zealand was vulnerable and afraid of having this to our team Doctor but I didn’t the best country in the world for this another stroke, but those around me and my tip to any player is to let your to happen in because the support is knew it was important for me to talk team’s medical staff know about incredible and the medical system about it. I was provided fantastic anything that is going on, no matter was outstanding. psychological aid from Dr Stress (Dr. how small it may seem at the time. I am under no illusions that my John McEwan) who made home visits I also had every players’ worst recovery is a very, very, long, slow for me because I was too ill to make nightmare to deal with. I was facing process and it has been a very the trips in the car. the fact that I had been advised traumatic journey. Dr. McEwan’s experience and not to play contact sport again, as Much to my immense relief I was expertise gave me a lot of comfort it could be life threatening. David cleared to fly and Rob Nicol from and helped me to understand the Gibson, Player Services Manager the NZRPA and some of my Steelers emotional and physical process my from the NZRPA had been through family came to farewell me at the body was going through. My mental something similar so was able to help airport. health definitely played a crucial role me process that and provided useful I returned to America where I will in getting myself back to normal and insight. concentrate on my recovery and Dr. Stress was crucial in that process. With a medical science college building a future for my fiancée and I. My partner had to fly back to America degree background, I understood the I have an interest in coaching and to sit her own college exams and this severity of my situation. was fortunate to have done some was challenging but provided me with coaching qualifications as part of my extra motivation to get well enough However, the words “you Personal Development Programme to fly back. cannot play rugby again” in New Zealand so am keen to pursue gave me nightmares. that and to continue my studies in You go through and question the medical profession. ‘why did this happen to me There are two things that despite I am expected to make a full recovery and were there any signs being really difficult I did manage to and I am extremely grateful for that. that I should have taken do before I headed home. I took part However, it just goes to show how note of?’. in the team photo, (even though I important it is to have a life plan spewed quite a lot afterwards) and outside of rugby. Rugby is your plan I did have a terrible headache on attended the team’s prize giving. It B but your life is your plan A. the Monday morning which was our meant a lot to me to get the chance NZRPA Personal Development Managers Conference Long Service Awards Congratulations to our long service award recipients from the Personal Development Programme Steve Symons Hurricanes/Wellington, Josh Blackie from the International Jason McKenzie Southland, Judy Rugby Players Association Clement Chiefs/Waikato, Peter (IRPA) addresses the Personal Sinclair Highlanders/Otago and Development Managers from the Players getting ready for the OUT & ABOUT David Gibson NZRPA Provincial Unions and Franchises. NZRPA AGM 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW / NZ RUGBY WORLD // 41 We asked our players to get into the festive spirit and here’s what they came up with. PICTURES FROM THE PLAYERS TALENI SEU AND MITCH ZIGGY FISIIHOI AND CALLUM BRYN HALL, BLUES KARPIK, CHIEFS RETALLICK, BAY OF PLENTY ATU MOLI FROM WAIKATO NORTH HARBOUR REED PRINSEP AND JACK SHARES CHRISTMAS CHEER ACADEMY GOODHUE, CANTERBURY WITH REBECCA FOY NZ WOMEN’S SEVENS TEAM IN THE FESTIVE SPIRIT ON THEIR CULTURAL EVENING ON CAMP 42 // NZ RUGBY WORLD / 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW JASON MCKENZIE (SOUTHLAND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER), BEN SMITH AND PETER SINCLAIR (HIGHLANDERS AND OTAGO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER) NZ MENS SEVENS TEAM ONOSAI & AMY AUVA'A JAMES AND ELIJAH, COUNTIES MANUKAU SIONE LEA & FAMILY, TARANAKI FESTIVE SEASON TIPS PLANNING ON Business partners Going Away? Make sure the car PLAYING OVERSEAS? you are travelling in is insured, If you are planning on playing registered and warranted.

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